An ANBU's Choice
by Hawk Sirius
Summary: Kage Tora. Shadow's Tiger. ANBU Captain Taka is known among the other ANBU by this name. The youngest ANBU since Itachi, joining at age nine, she grew up in the ANBU. What will Taka choose: The life of a Kunoichi under the sun, or the ANBU life in the shadows that she grew up with?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto!**

**This is my first time writing an ANBU-based FanFiction, but this is an idea that I've had for a while. That aside, enjoy!**

_Chapter One_

_The Leaf really is beautiful at this time of day_, the ANBU thought. The sun was going down, and she could see the entire village bathed in a soft yellow light from her perch above the face of the Fourth Hokage.

_I almost envy them_, she thought. _The near-complete peace and safety of the civilian life. Makes you wonder what it's like to have a choice._

"Taka?" Someone behind the ANBU asked quietly. She turned around with a sigh.

"Yes, Inu?"

The Dog-masked ANBU rubbed the back of his head. "Just making sure you're alright after that mission. You seemed to be affected more than the others."  
Taka relaxed slightly, and motioned for the man to sit down.

"So... Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Inu. You, Tora, and Hebi worry too much for your own good."

"You're still young, Taka, and Hebi actually thinks of you like a sister."

"That sadist? She's as bad as Ibiki." Taka turned away from Inu, her Hawk mask a dark silhouette against the fading colors of the sky.

"True... Why are you up here?"

"I find peace in watching the sunset over the village... It helps me get over the missions."

"Ah."

The two ANBU sat in comfortable silence as the sunset faded to the dark indigo-purple of night.

"Taka?" Inu began. The Hawk-masked ANBU looked at him again.

"What is it?" She could tell that something was bothering the ANBU captain.

"I'm leaving the ANBU."

"Wh-what?! Why?" Taka barely managed to ask.

"I've been in the ANBU for over ten years now. You know that the Hokage has had me test Genin teams, right?" Taka nodded.

"I'm going to rejoin the normal forces to take a Genin team. There's a promising group this time around."

"Do you plan on actually passing a team this time?" Taka asked, laughing. "You're not exactly known for passing Genin teams."

"Who knows? It all depends on how well they perform."

"Teamwork in the bell test, correct?"

"You got it."

Taka hesitated before asking, "Why do you want to leave? Most ANBU join for life."

"I want to take on normal missions, and train a Genin team."

"That's not the only reason, is it? The council wants you to train the last Uchiha, don't they?"

"Correct as always, Taka," Inu said, standing. "We should get back to the dorms."

"Fine," Taka said as she stood as well.

"Taka, this will have been our last mission together as ANBU," Inu said.

"You're leaving that soon?"

"Yeah. And I want you to be the team's Captain now."

"WHAT?!"

Inu laughed. "Quiet down, Taka! I'm serious!"

Taka turned away, pretending to be hurt. "Meanie."

"Honestly, you act like a five-year-old sometimes!"

"Inu, I'm twelve. I had no childhood. How would I know how someone acts when they're five?"

"Taka. I'm going back now, and if you don't come, I'll lock you out of our team's dorm."

"You wouldn't!"

"I would."

"..."

"..."

"Noodles."

"...Wait, what?!" Taka started laughing as her Captain stopped, trying to comprehend what she had just said.

"Fine, I'll come," Taka said after recovering from her laughter.

"Good." Both ANBU Body Flickered back to the ANBU HQ and dorms.

Upon reaching their room, Taka quietly knocked on the door in their code and growled out the verbal password in such away that only her teammates could understand her.

"Hey Inu, Taka," Tora said cheerfully as he opened the door. "Where were you guys?"

"I was watching the sunset," Taka said, walking through the small room.

"What about you, Inu?"

"I turned in our mission report and checked on Taka," Inu explained after Taka left the common room in favor of the privacy of her tiny bedroom.

"Was something wrong?" Tora asked, worried.

"She took the mission harder than you or Hebi. I'm surprised that her emotions are still intact after growing up in the ANBU."

"What do you mean, Inu?"

"He means that Taka has been in the ANBU from birth. She joined officially when she was nine years old. Most everyone here helped train her. Even that sadist, Ibiki, helped with the brat's training."

"Thanks for the input, Hebi. Glad you came out of your hole," Inu said nonchalantly.

"Enough with that 'too cool for you' attitude, Inu," Hebi said, sauntering into the common room, dark purple hair looking black in the dim light.

"I need to tell you two something," Inu said seriously, the complete opposite of his attitude a few minutes ago.

"What is it?" Tora asked.

"I'm leaving ANBU tomorrow."

"WHAT?!" Hebi yelled.

"Hebi, I've been here for over ten years now, and the Hokage wants me to take on a Genin team as a compromise with the council."

"Why do you say 'compromise?'" Tora asked.

"The council wants me to privately tutor the last Uchiha, Sasuke. The Hokage turned down that request, and instead is going to place him with a Genin team," Inu said quietly.

"Is that why Taka seemed so upset?" Hebi asked.

"Partially. I want her to be the team Captain after I leave."

"Why?"

"Hebi, Taka's been in the ANBU for three, almost four years officially, and has been training for closer to five or six years. She has more experience than either you or Tora."

"She doesn't like that idea?" Tora asked for clarification.

"She doesn't, but she knows full well why."

"That's good," Hebi said. "She needs to be more confident."

"What can you expect? She's twelve, and was basically adopted by the ANBU," Tora said quietly.

"Actually, Tora, Taka _was_ adopted by the ANBU. The Commander and the Hokage arranged it," Inu said. "She's lived here for so long that she's kind of The Boss when it comes to maintaining the dorms and HQ."

"How is Taka 'The Boss?'" Tora asked.

"Ever heard of the Shadow's Tiger, or Kage Tora?" Hebi asked. Tora nodded.

"The Kage Tora is the nickname Taka has. She knows, uses, and is not afraid of the shadows, and will attack anyone who violates the code of cleanliness like a tiger," Inu clarified.

"That's kinda scary," Tora commented quietly.

"Yeah. Taka's rather intimidating, to say the least," Hebi admitted.

**That's it for chapter one, people! Hope you guys enjoyed! Please let me know what you think about it. Reviews help me write faster! **

**¡Hasta luego!**

**~Hawk Sirius, signing off**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto!**

** Taku94: Thanks for following and reviewing! I'm glad that you liked how this started. I have issues with putting _too much_ dialogue into my writing. Kakashi has always been one of my favorite characters, and he's fun to write, so taking a look at what happened _before _Squad Seven interested me. I'm glad that you like the characters, too. I plan on 'delving deeper' into all of them(the important ones at least), so no worries! Again, I'm really glad that you liked this!**

* * *

_Chapter Two_

_One Month later_

Taka could hear several things from her hiding place, but she was focused on only one: The birds were singing, small animals were scuffling, she could hear the series of light thumps as a Genin team returned from a mission, and she could hear a team training nearby.

She had, somehow, been given the day off, along with Tora and Hebi. Hebi had revealed that she was planning to leave the ANBU as well, and return to her position as a Special Jōnin, much to Taka's and Tori's dismay.

Taka had decided to hunt down Inu, or Kakashi as he was known outside of ANBU. She believed that she had found him, but she had yet to confirm it.

Moving closer through the trees, Taka was now certain: The silver-haired Jōnin with the Genin at the training ground was indeed the infamously late Kakashi Hatake.

She sprung out of the tree she was perched in and landed silently behind Kakashi. "Yo!"  
He spun around, startled, and relaxed slightly, seeing that she was ANBU. The three Genin behind him looked frightened at Taka's sudden appearance.

"What is it?" Kakashi asked. Taka laughed.

"I'm not on duty, Inu, just wanted to see my former teammate," Taka said, grinning behind her Hawk mask. Kakashi looked confused and startled at being called by his ANBU name.

"Taka?"

"Who else?"

Kakashi facepalmed. "Is this normal?" I heard one of the Genin whisper, and blonde-haired boy with bright blue eyes and whisker-like birthmarks on both cheeks.

"This is normal, for Taka, that is," Kakashi said to the boy, who looked embarrassed at being heard.

"Well, I'll leave you alone. Don't want to be interrupting anything," Taka said before Body Flickering away.

* * *

The next day Taka, Hebi, and Tora were called to the Hokage's office for their last mission as a squad, since Hebi would be leaving the ANBU after the mission. They were to follow one of the new Genin teams, which was taking their first C-Rank mission. The ANBU were going to provide backup if needed.

After being briefed for their part of the mission, specifically about which higher-rank risks could appear, they were told to stand along the walls, but to remain visible. The Genin team was going to be informed about the ANBU's presence, so it made sense for them to be semi-familiar to them.

A few minutes after the initial briefing, the Genin squad that was officially taking the mission arrived. It was Squad Seven, lead by none other than Kakashi Hatake. Said Jōnin's one visible eye widened slightly as he recognized the three ANBU that stood along the wall.

The team's mission was a fairly simple one: An escort mission to the Land of Waves, as well as protecting the bridge builder Tazuna while he finishes building a bridge to the mainland.

After the briefing, the Hokage asked the team if anyone had questions. Right away, the pink-haired Kunoichi spoke up.

"Why are we being accompanied by ANBU? I mean, this is a C-rank mission, it shouldn't get so dangerous that ANBU need to get involved!"

"All rookie teams have an ANBU squad backing them up on their first C-rank mission to make sure no-one gets killed. If everything goes fine, then the team can continue taking C-ranks," the Hokage explained. He then turned to the three ANBU. "Would you three introduce yourselves?" He asked.

"I am Tora," the Cat-masked ANBU said.

Then the Snake: "I am Hebi."

"I am Taka, and the team Captain," the Hawk-masked ANBU said quietly. The three Genin nodded respectfully, while Kakashi made a series of subtle, ANBU-exclusive signs: _I would like to speak to you three in private, if that's alright.'_

Taka did the same, _Training ground 14._

Shortly thereafter, the Hokage dismissed both teams from his office to give them time to prepare. The three ANBU quickly gathered the necessary supplies before Body Flickering to Training Ground 14. It was about five minutes before Kakashi arrived.

"What did you want us for, Kakashi?" Taka asked. Here, in a less professional setting, her voice lost the cold edge that it normally had.

"I wanted to apologize for leaving so abruptly," Kakashi said. "I was planning to leave later, but because of when the Academy students were taking the Genin exams..." Taka stifled a groan.

"Trust you to forget things like that," Taka said in a low voice.

"Well..." Kakashi began.

"We'll meet y'all at the main gates," Hebi said, interrupting her former Captain. Sean's Tora Body Flickered away before Kakashi or Tora could speak.

"That was odd," Kakashi said.

"Hebi is odd. I thought you'd figured that out by now!" Taka said teasingly.

"All ANBU are odd, Taka, you included."

"How exactly am I odd?"

"Well, to start, you were adopted by the ANBU. Hebi is basically your sister, Tora's your 'brother', you got Ibiki riled up and successfully avoided his wrath-"

"And my whole family is essentially ANBU."

"Except for me."

"Of course, _Dad_, but you're not ANBU anymore, remember?"

"Taka... How can you be so annoying?"

"Who's worse, me or Naruto?"

Kakashi winced. "I honestly cannot say. Naruto's louder, but you blackmail people with the info you get from who knows where!"

"Icha Icha?" Taka said mischievously.

"Do not start that again, Taka."

"Really, Kakashi, you give people way too much to use against you!"

"Main gates. Now."

"Don't change the subject on me, mister!" Taka exclaimed.

"Don't you 'mister' me, Taka!"

"..."

"..."

"That was fun," Taka said.

"Yeah, right. You just like picking on me."

"You're just lucky that you ended up as my Dad. Better you than Ibiki, right?"

"Definitely. How you managed to find a family label for every ANBU member escapes me, but you are at least pretty reasonable about it."

"Fifty-two uncles, twelve aunts, nineteen brothers, four sisters, one dad, two granddads, one grandma, and one great-granddad."

"How did you...? Nevermind, I don't want to know how you can remember that, or specifically who has what title," Kakashi said.

"How did I do it, anyway? Oh, yeah, and ten cousins. Can't forget them!"

"Taka... You are strange..."

"Thanks! We need to leave right now if we're going to at the gates on time!" Taka said cheerfully before Body Flickering to the gates.

"TAKA!"

* * *

**It has been revealed... Taka has one freaking huge family! How does she keep everyone's labels straight?**

**Please let me know what you think! Reviews motivate me and help me get a feel for how others perceive things in my writing.**

**Hawk Sirius, out(cuz it's 20 min. To 11:00 pm and I should be sleeping).**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto!**

**Thank you to Amyb11 and books. for following this story!**

**Here is chapter three!**

* * *

_Chapter Three_

_Taka's POV_

"Hi!" I said after I Body Flickered to Konoha's main gate.

"Hi, Taka... Where's Kakashi?" Tora asked. The three Genin turned to look at me as well.

"Yeah, where is Sensei? He's always late," the blonde boy asked.

"It's my fault this time," I said sheepishly. "Kakashi wanted to talk to me, and I kind of pushed all his buttons."

Tora sighed while Hebi smacked me on the head. "Taka, really?! Again?!"

"You do remember what happened the last time you did that, right?" Tora asked.

"Yup," I said.

The blonde Genin got Tora's attention and whispered to him, "Does that Taka person have problems with her head?"

Tora shot up straight, alarmed. He looked at me, and I could tell that he was scared.

"What were you askeding Tora, Blondie?" I asked, the cold tone of my on-duty persona slipping into my voice.

"I... I just asked him..." The boy was so freaked that he couldn't finish his sentence. I watched as Tora used the ANBU sign language: _He asked if you... Had problems with your head._

I sighed, then turned slightly as Kakashi showed up. Good, I thought. Now no-one has to worry about Blondie here being maimed by my grumpy side.

"Sorry that I'm late, I-"

"You were plotting ways to get back at me for making you late," I said quietly. I had fully shifted into my on-duty persona.

"Ehehehe... Let's not go there..." Kakashi said, laughing nervously. "Everyone ready?" We all nodded, and left the village.

Tora and Hebi kept watch from the right side and back of the group, while I traveled on the left side, a little bit ahead of the team.

Using our team's birdcall code, Tora and Hebi told riddles that were specifically designed for this type of mission: complex enough to be a good challenge, but not so much that one would become unaware of the surrounding area. I joined in occasionally, but I mostly just kept an eye on what was going on with the Genin.

* * *

As I went ahead of the group again to scout, I noticed something odd: A puddle on the ground when it had not rained for weeks.

I rushed back to the group to report to Kakashi, using a birdcall to alert Tora and Hebi that I had found something suspicious. Upon my arrival, I saw that the three Genin and our client, Tazuna, looked alarmed, since Tora and Hebi had shown themselves unexpectedly.

"Taka, what is it?" Kakashi asked.

"A rainless puddle," I said. I saw the Genin glance at each other, confused, but my teammates and Kakashi understood immediately.

"Tora, western flank. Hebi, remain central," I said. Hebi glared at me behind her mask, annoyed, while Tora and I leapt into the trees. I heard one of Kakashi's Genin behind us ask, "Western...flank? Remain central?" Then I heard Kakashi: "ANBU's code."_

Tora and I raced through the trees on opposite sides of the path until we reached the puddle. Tora tossed some shuriken into the puddle, causing it to become a pair of Chūnin-rank Hidden Mist Missing-nin.

"What-? Who attacked us?" One Chūnin exclaimed. The other, a mirror image of him, shrugged. "We should hide again. That bridge builder should be here soon."

"Yeah, we-augh!" The Chūnin shouted in pain as a kunai struck him in the upper spine.  
"Parameters secured, Dual Thunder Dragon Vortex." Tora and I stepped out onto branches bordering the road in order to see each other as we flew through hand seals in unison: Dragon, Tiger, Ram, Horse, Tiger, Ram, Dog, Dragon.

"Dual Thunder Dragon Vortex: Lighting Seal!" Combining the powerful Water Dragon and Lighting Dragons created a powerful, dragon-shaped vortex of electrically-charged water. Tora and I guided it as it attacked the Mist Chūnin, killing one and trapping the other.

"Tora, you return to Inu," I said, using Kakashi's ANBU name to keep his identity unknown. "I'll take over the Jutsu."

"Yes, Taka," Tora said. He dropped the Jutsu and disappeared through the trees.

"Thunder Vortex Sealing!" I changed the Jutsu, shaping it into a vortex before dropping it onto the other Ninja. Now it would slowly feed off of his Chakra, supporting the Jutsu, while keeping him immobile but unharmed.

* * *

About ten minutes later the rest of our group arrived at the scene.

"What on Earth...?" Kakashi began.

"Rainless puddle, remember?" I said. "Two Kiri Missing-nin, Chūnin rank."

Kakashi sighed. "At least you left one alive for interrogation, unless you already did that."

"Decided to let you do it, being in charge of the mission and all."

Kakashi shot me a look before beginning to interrogate the remaining Chūnin. I returned to where Tora and Hebi were standing, and sent Hebi to survey the area, while Tora and I scouted ahead again.

"Taka?" Tora asked once we had left the group.

"What is it, Tora?"

"Are you alright? You don't seem like yourself."

"You probably know why, Tora."

"Yeah, but... You don't normally let things like that affect you."

"This is different."

"Not really."

"Let's just drop that for now, okay?"

"Fine..." Tora grudgingly agreed.

"For now, just focus on our current mission,"

* * *

Back with Squad Seven, Kakashi had finished his interrogation and learned that the two Missing-nin had been hired to kill Tazuna.

"Tazuna," Kakashi said, turing to the bridge builder. "Explain. This mission should have been classified as a B- or even A-Rank, not a C-Rank."

"No-one in the Land of Waves has enough money, thanks to Gatō. He took over our country, and the only way that we will get any income would be through the bridge I am building to the mainland," Tazuna explained before going into a sob story about his 'Cute little grandson' if he didn't return safely. Grudgingly, Kakashi decided to continue the mission.

**Please let me know what you think about this story!**

**Hawk Sirius, signing off.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto!**

**This chapter took forever to write, got writer's block a hundred words in!**

**Sorry about the delay. Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Four

A little while after the meeting with the Chūnin, one of the Genin, the blonde boy Naruto, started throwing kunai into the bushes at every little noise. Eventually a small white rabbit fled from the bushes when it was nearly impaled by a stray kunai.

"Naruto!" One of his teammates yelled, the pink-haired girl.

"S-sorry, Sakura," Naruto said sheepishly. I rolled my eyes from my perch above the group. We had just reached a place where the road traveled alongside a river, and my team would be forced to travel with the main group.

Suddenly, I felt a presence, and I saw Kakashi stiffen slightly as well. He unfroze and yelled, "Everyone, get down!" Tazuna and the Genin dropped to the ground like Kakashi had, and not a moment too soon as a massive sword flew through the air above their heads, burying itself into a tree. A figure appeared on the handle, and my eyes widened.

_Zabuza Momochi. The Demon of the Hidden Mist,_ I thought. I heard a low, fluting whistle moments later, a warning from Tora to Hebi, who was behind us.

"Well, if it isn't Zabuza Momochi," Kakashi said. "Fancy seeing you here."

"Copy Ninja Kakashi, or Kakashi of the Sharingan." Zabuza seemed to smirk before Body Flickering to the surface of the river.

"Hidden Mist Concealment!" A thick, heavy mist started to cover the area, hiding the rogue ninja.

_This is bad,_ I thought. _Hebi and Tora aren't suited to fighting in conditions like this!_  
Being skilled as a sensor, I had the best skills of all of us for fighting without sight. My partners, however, had a powerful Jutsu that we had developed for situations like this. Tora had already given the signal.

"Four Point Arc: Sensory Elemental Summons!" I felt the sudden drop in Chakra as Hebi, Tora, Kakashi, and I performed our Jutsu in unison, each of us creating a solid elemental chakra-based summoning animal: Kakashi's a lightning-based dog, Hebi's a fire-based snake, Tora's an earth-based tiger, and my own being a wind-based eagle.

Each animal, thanks to my part of the Jutsu, was a sensory type, perfect for this type of situation.

I added a Jutsu of my own to the finished one, allowing me to control and see through the eyes of my eagle. I guided it through the heavy fog, and watched as Kakashi traded blows with the Mist ninja before becoming trapped in a Water Prison Jutsu. His version of our Jutsu dissipated, and I stifled a groan: Our only group Jutsu for conditions like this had already been unbalanced, just seconds after being initiated.

'Kakashi's immobilized! Hebi, Tora, partial Manji formation to protect the Genin and client. I'll take Zabuza,' I ordered via birdcalls.

'You sure?' Tora asked.

'Yes. Go!' I shifted my vision to the area directly around me in time to see Hebi and Tora spring out of the trees to stand on either side of the Genin. I dispelled my Elemental Summons created by our team Jutsu, and slipped into the mist to confront Zabuza.  
As I went, I formed the seals for one of my team's favorite Jutsu: "Revealing Jutsu!" At the small burst of Chakra that followed, the mist that surrounded the area began to fade rapidly.

I stopped behind Zabuza's Water Clone, which I had sensed him forming while I dispersed the mist. The clone suddenly fell with a splash, as I had dug a Kunai into it.  
Glancing over at the Genin squad, I saw Naruto and the black-haired boy looking as though they were going to attack. I met Naruto's eyes, and nodded subtly before Body Flickering back into the trees. From there, I watched what the two Genin were doing.

Naruto tossed a Fuuma Shuriken to his partner, who spun around, sending it flying. As it flew towards Zabuza, he caught it in his free hand, only to have a second one come swing in out of its shadow. This time he jumped over it. When the Shuriken was a good distance away, it 'poofed', revealing a grinning Naruto, who flung a Kunai at Zabuza's hand, forcing him to jump back, releasing the Water Prison that had trapped Kakashi.

In a flash, Kakashi was on top of the water, mirroring Zabuza's hand seals. Two massive Water Dragons reared out of the river, and collided violently before canceling each other out. Both figures started flashing through seals again, but this time Kakashi finished first, sending a massive funnel of water at Zabuza, driving the Missing-nin off the river and crashing into a tree. Before Zabuza could be finished off, however, a Hunter-nin from the Mist appeared above him, piercing his neck with senbon before vanishing with the body.

Kakashi checked that everyone was alright, then he collapsed from overuse of his Sharingan and Chakra exhaustion.

* * *

After Kakashi had collapsed, we all headed to Tazuna's home to recover and regroup. Once there, I stationed Hebi and Tora outside the house to keep watch in shifts, while I checked on Kakashi. He woke up about an hour later, much to everyone's relief.

A little after he had woken up, Kakashi asked to talk to me.

"What is it, Kakashi?" I asked, kneeling near his bed.

"I think you already know. Zabuza?"

My eyes widened behind my mask, and I nodded slowly. "He's alive. If that had really been a Hunter-nin, then the body would have been destroyed on site. Also, the Hunter-nin used senbon through the neck to incapacitate Zabuza. There are no vital areas in the neck that senbon could use to kill, only places that could cause someone to enter a temporary death state."

"I know. It's still worrisome, though."

"What would you have us do, then?" I asked.

"Keep an eye on things while I train the Genin," Kakashi replied. "They need to go through the tree-walking exercise."

I shook my head. "Not until I give you the all clear. I need to check you over."

"Very well, Doctor Taka."

"Not the time, Hatake," I said, activating a diagnostic Jutsu. I ran it over my ex-captain, and sighed.

"Looks like you won't be walking for about a week," I said. "You somehow tore some major tendons in your left leg. And no, crutches are not acceptable," I added before Kakashi could protest.

"What will the Genin do, then?"

"My squad will help them."

"And about securing the house?"

"Shadow Clones, one of which will dispel and alert us if the house is under attack."

"You sound like you have everything planned out."

"I have to be able to, being Team Captain and all," I said exasperatedly.

"Very well, Taka, you win."

"Good, 'cause if I find that you've tried anything, I will personally burn your entire Icha Icha collection in front of you when we get back."

"Blackmail."

"I wouldn't hesitate."

"I know. That's called blackmail."

"I'm going to inform the others of what transpired."

"Taka, what is it with you and big words?"

"Blame the higher-ups. They use big words, then I learn the big words and start using them."

"Get out of here!" Kakashi ordered, eye-smiling. I could tell he was laughing in his strange way.

* * *

"Okay, let me get this straight," Sakura said. "Zabuza is still alive, Kakashi won't be walking for at least a week, and you three ANBU are going to train us at Kakashi Sensei's request?"

"Correct," I said. "Hunter-nin are supposed to destroy the bodies of Missing-nin on-site, which didn't happen. About Kakashi, he tore tendons in his leg, which will make walking nearly impossible. He wanted to teach you guys the tree-walking exercise, but he can't if he's bedridden, thus, my squad and I will do it instated."

"Oh...kay..." Sakura said.

I gestured to Hebi and Tora, who took up positions next to two different trees. "Two of you go with my partners," I said. "One of you will work with me."

I watched with amusement as the three Genin raced off, only for the blonde boy, Naruto, to come trooping back.

"Ready kid?" I asked. He nodded. "I guess."

"Good. Get ready for some serious training."

* * *

**Ex-teammates in the ANBU can be very evil. Particularly when certain Icha Icha-reading Jōnin are the victims.**

**Please let me know what you thought! Thanks.**

**Hawk Sirius, signing off.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto! (And why would I, anyways? This is a fanfiction site, after all!)**

* * *

Chapter Five

Training the Genin, or more specifically Naruto, was... _Interesting_, to say the least. To start, all three, Naruto in particular, had extreme difficulty, more than was expected, even if they were green Genin. At one point, I noticed Tora shift slightly, conveying his disbelief in that one small motion. Over the course of the week, we learned several things about each of the Genin.

Sakura, unsurprisingly, had the most success with the exercise. However, her small Chakra reserves were both positive and negative factors: Small Chakra reserves often made for better control, but also made for lower stamina.

Tora was helping Sakura with the Tree Climbing exercise, then started teaching her a little about using Genjutsu once she had completed the challenge.

Hebi was working with Sasuke, who was being very resistant to her assistance. My teammate finally gave up on aiding him and simply watched as he struggled mightily.

Naruto had the most trouble with the exercise, falling painfully on his head on nearly every attempt. I gave him some tips, and there was a near-instantaneous difference his his performance: he was reaching higher up the tree with each try, and landing on his feet more often than his head.

Soon, Sasuke was the only one who hadn't made it to the top of their tree, due to his stubbornness and resistance towards help of any kind.

By the end of the week, all three Genin had completed the Tree-walking exercise, and had been taught a little Nin- Gen- or Taijutsu. My teammates and I praised the young Ninjas' progress, and the three of us could see quite clearly that Kakashi was shamed by the difference in success rates between his training methods, and our own.

* * *

After the week had passed, Kakashi had recovered fully, and Squad Seven, Tora, and I headed out to the bridge. Hebi remained at the house to protect it if necessary, much to her displeasure. She was to send a Shadow Clone to the bridge if anything came up, and vice versa.

When the rest of the group arrived at the bridge, they found that it was shrouded in a thick, heavy mist, which was not surprising, considering that the bridge was over the ocean. What was surprising was how dense and impenetrable it was; it was impossible to see more than twenty feet ahead at any given time.

My teammate and I faded into the fog, edging around the sides of the bridge parallel to one another, using our abilities to sense each other to remain in position. I froze for a heartbeat when I heard someone's voice float eerily through the mist

"Long time no see, Kakashi," Zabuza said from within the oppressive mist. The Genin and Kakashi froze when the mist directly around them shifted, revealing dozens of Clones surrounding them.

The mist around them quickly blocked my view, but I heard Kakashi murmur, "Do it, Sasuke."

I heard and felt a flicker of movement, and heard the telltale shploosh of Water Clones dispelling.

I moved forward, closer to the confrontation, until I reached the edge of the barrier of fog, and was able to clearly see what was taking place.

Zabuza and the Hunter-nin from before were standing together a number of yards away from the Leaf ninja, prepared to fight.

The false Hunter-nin, whom I heard Zabuza address as 'Haku', flashed into motion, senbon in hand. Sasuke took off at an equally rapid pace, meeting the boy with a clang of kunai-on-senbon.

Kakashi and Zabuza looked on as the two matched each other's speed with ease, until the masked boy and Sasuke were in a face off, Haku blocking Sasuke's kunai, giving him only one hand to defend with. He started forming one-handed seals, suddenly springing away from Sasuke as mirror-like panes of ice formed from the water on the ground, creating a dome around the boys.

After some time, in which Sasuke tried in vain to escape from the mirror prison, Kakashi tried to get to Sasuke to help him, but Zabuza was in his face immediately, preventing the ex-ANBU from aiding his student.

Naruto also tried, and was able to successfully reach his teammate, but made a bad choice in his decision to enter the mirrors, trapping himself as well, adding to the problem.

Tora appeared beside me, posture tense and guarded. "Should we intervene?" He asked. "None of them seem to be able to truly take their opponents."

I nodded slightly. "Target minor. I'll target major."

"Right."

We both flashed out of hiding, Tora with his tanto drawn, myself holding a katana.

Zabuza's eyes widened as he glimpsed the two of us. Kakashi's head turned, and Zabuza hefted his sword, swinging it towards the Jōnin's neck.

I hit Kakashi with my shoulder, knocking him out of the way as I blocked the massive Kubikiriboccū with my slender sword. Zabuza and Kakashi both leapt away, Kakashi standing behind me at my shoulder, Zabuza in front, shock written across what little of his face that was visible.

"ANBU?" Zabuza growled. "Here?"

In the moment of silence following his rhetorical query, surprised yells rang out across the bridge from where Naruto, Sasuke, and Tora were combatting the false Hunter-nin.

Tora had so startled the other three with his sudden appearance that Haku's Jutsu collapsed, freeing the two disgruntled boys. Sasuke recovered first, quickly beginning the set of hand seals for a Fire Jutsu, which separated the three groups; Naruto and Sasuke on one side of the fireball, Haku on another, and Tora crouched on the other side, tanto in a reverse grip, parallel to the ground on his right side.

Kakashi and I glanced at each other before springing into action, two dark blurs accompanied by streaks of silver steel, a kunai and a katana in hand. Zabuza reacted quickly, blocking both weapons simultaneously with his oversized sword, the force of our combined attacks sending him slipping backwards a few feet.

Kakashi and I leapt away from the former member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist as he struck out, blade nearly reaching us as we darted out of reach.  
The two fights continued for a fairly long while like this, intricate, deadly dances filled with steel clashing with steel, and various Jutsus weaving around in time to their own tune.

* * *

Suddenly, as Kakashi and I were ducking beneath Zabuza's Kubikiriboccū, Zabuza struck out with his leg, causing me to stumble. The flat of the sword struck my mask with enough force that it ripped it off of my face. Zabuza twisted his sword, changing directions mid-swing, aiming for chest.

I rolled, nearly dodging the blade. The tip slashed across my face, carving a slightly curved line from above my left eye to just below my right.

I swiftly reclaimed my mask from Kakashi, who had grabbed it as it skidded across the ground. I used a healing Jutsu to temporarily stop the bleeding on my face before donning the hawk-shaped mask.

"Let's finish this fight, Hatake," I growled, picking up my katana from where I had dropped it.

"We have a pair of Missing-nin to take down."

**AN: I'm sorry for taking so long to update! School has been crazy, and one of my friends accidentally murdered Inspiration by introducing me to a new anime, which I couldn't stop watching.**

**I hope you guys enjoyed!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Do I _really_ need to do this again, people?**

**Woot! Two chapters within four days of each other! And this chapter was written in about two days! Yay! **

**Well, enjoy the chapter, people! :D**

* * *

Chapter Six

Kakashi made a small sign with his hand: _Wait for my signal._ I nodded slowly, slipping into the familiar position from when Kakashi was my Captain.

His hand twitched. We shot into motion, Kakashi's hands flowing through seals. I brought my katana up in a reverse grip, the flat of the blade laying along the side of my arm, a long strip of ice on my skin.

I ducked, sensing Kakashi's approach, hand sparking with the deadly electricity of the Chidori. He jumped over me, aiming for the stunned Missing-nin.

The other ninja, Haku, suddenly was in front of Zabuza, and took my former Captain's Chidori to the chest, dying almost instantly. Zabuza leapt away from Kakashi as he struggled to remove his hand from the corpse.

I raced forward again, in a half-crouched position, before springing up, sword flashing as I blocked the Kubikiribochō from beheading me. I ducked to the side as I tilted my katana, causing the larger sword to slide off the end of my blade as I drew a kunai, lashing out from behind Zabuza's guard.

The Missing-nin jumped away from me, avoiding the attack. I swiftly put away the small knife as Kakashi took up a position at my side.

I took a moment to survey the area, noting that Tora had withdrawn with the Genin and was crouched beside Sakura, tending to the two boys. He glanced up as though feeling my eyes, and I felt heat in my tattoo.

'_Do you need me to aid?'_ Tora asked. The ANBU tattoos could work almost like radios, and worked over extremely long distances, though my squad preferred to use birdcalls and hand signs. However, given the circumstances, the tattoo-transceivers were the best bet.

I turned back to Zabuza. _'Take Tazuna and the Genin back to Tsunami. You and Hebi can decide which of you should return. We may need backup from you.'_

I felt Tora's affirmative, and barely heard him and the Genin leave.

" 'Kashi?" I asked, using my former Captain's old nickname. He nodded, understanding.  
We sprung forward in unison, blades in hand, a kunai and a katana respectively. The smell of ozone began to fill the area as Kakashi and I charged our weapons with Lightning chakra, arcs of blue and gold sparking and dancing over the metal.

Zabuza ducked and twisted around Kakashi's kunai, simultaneously blocking my sword with his own. His grip on the hilt faltered slightly as electricity lanced up the Kubikiribochō from my katana.

I thrust upwards, taking advantage of the brief moment of weakness. Zabuza barely avoided my blade, retreating swiftly.

Chakra channeled into my feet, I lunged forwards again, using the chakra to help me stop and turn sharply, sliding just beneath Zabuza's attack.

Kakashi came up on the former Mist ninja's other side, electricity snapping and cracking along the length of his kunai.

I was about to reengage once again, but I paused for a moment as I detected a Chakra signature approaching swiftly, taking a moment to identify that it was Tora returning, not Hebi.

Zabuza spun around as Kakashi struck, creating a long, but shallow, cut, which was cauterized by the electricity in the blade.

I drew back, away from the fight, as Tora appeared from the trees. He immediately flashed over to me.

'_Situation?'_ He asked before standing.

'_Using Tai- and Kenjutsu to wear him down. Lightning-nature Chakra in the blades seems effective. Haven't tried Ninjutsu yet,'_ I said shortly.

As we were speaking, Kakashi withdrew to stand at my other side. '_There's a large number of people gathering on the bridge,'_ he warned us. '_It's most likely Gatō and his men.'_

I nodded. '_Stay on your guard. We'll wait and see if they decide to show themselves.'_  
Zabuza stood, watching us, then spun around suddenly and slipped into a combat stance, obviously sensing the people that Kakashi had.

The fog finally began to dissipate, revealing a huge mob of people standing behind a short, rotund man.

"Gatō," Zabuza growled.

"My, my," the man identified as Gatō mocked. "I must say, I'm disappointed. You can't even take care of an old man?"

Tora and I moved to opposite sides of the bridge as the Missing-nin and corrupt businessman glared at each other.

"Well, I'm sorry to say, Zabuza, but you no longer have a paycheck from me. If you can't do your job properly, then I have no use for you," Gatō continued. He gestured at the mercenaries behind him as Tora and I slunk along the sides of the bridge.

"That's why I hired these guys. They ought to be able to do the job."

I sent a signal to Hebi, telling her to come to the bridge as fast as possible.

Zabuza continued glaring at Gatō. "Had you not intervened I would have been able to take them down," he said. Kakashi warily watched Zabuza in silence, crouched in the center of the bridge.

I felt Hebi's Chakra signature approach rapidly- she was not holding back at all in terms of speed. I explained to her and Tora what my plan was. About a minute later, Hebi was at my side.

'_Go!'_ I ordered. The three of us Shushined into the midst of the bandits and mercenaries, weapons drawn.

"Stand down!" I roared over the shouting from the people around us. They had all cleared away from the three of us, leaving a large circle around where we had landed.

Gatō spun around, eyes narrowed. "Who are you to be ordering my men around?!"

I turned my left shoulder towards him, pumping a small amount of Chakra through my tattoo, causing it to glow. "ANBU squad Captain of the Hidden Leaf Village," I said in a monotone. "And you _will_ stand down."

Gatō sneered. "Think I'm scared of a couple of masked foreigners? Go!" He ordered his thugs to attack the three of us, Kakashi, and Zabuza.

Hebi, Tora, and I all released explosive bursts of KI that froze the bandits in their tracks.

"I _said_ to _stand down_," I said flatly. The bandits, released from the near-Genjutsu created by the KI, slowly inched away from Kakashi and Zabuza, staying as far as reasonably possible from my squad. Soon, the only people left were Gatō, Kakashi, Zabuza, Hebi, Tora, and I.

Gatō looked between the five of us nervously. Zabuza shot me a look, and I nodded slightly. He grinned maliciously behind the bandages that covered the lower half of his face, and hefted the Kubikiribochō.

"Looks like I get to assassinate someone today after all," he said. Gatō paled.

* * *

**Oh, boy. I had fun writing this. For some reason, I write better when I'm up late(like, 10:30-11:00pm late). I was feeing really melancholy while writing the first half, so I'm not sure how it may have affected the way things were written(I often write when I'm hyper, not somber).**

**Eh, I should probably stop rambling now. I need to work on a different story so that my best friends don't murder me with forks the next time I see them.**

**¡Adiós!**

**~H.S.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: The only person/thing I own is Taka! Not the anime! Stop asking me! :D**

**The conclusion of the Wave arc and beginning a new one!**

**Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter Seven

Half an hour later, our teams parted ways. Kakashi was to return to Tazuna's home to complete their mission, and Tora had chosen to remain as well. Hebi and I were returning to the Leaf with Zabuza, who had requested joining the Leaf. I was relieved that we would be able to return at a better pace than the one we had been traveling at before.

We had disarmed Zabuza, sealing the Kubikiribochō into a scroll that I was carrying. The man was surprisingly cheerful, though as he was not a prisoner, and he had specifically asked to come, it was more understandable.

The trip back was uneventful, though the reactions of the two Chūnin that guarded the gates were amusing: They started panicking at the sight of Zabuza before Hebi and I could explain, but luckily they calmed down quickly.

I went to see the Hokage before Hebi did to give my report, as she was 'escorting' Zabuza.

* * *

After giving my report, I headed to my squad's apartment/dorm to get things set up for the arrival of the rest of the team. Tora would be returning within the next day or so with Squad Seven, and Hebi was guarding Zabuza and escorting him to see the Hokage.

My squad had long since deemed me the most 'domestic' of the four of us, as I did most of the cooking and cleaning. Tora's attempts at cooking were very likely the least toxic of the other three members, being able to actually cook hamburger patties with causing them to spontaneously combust, explode, or melt. Hebi and Kakashi(or Inu) were the worst.

The only other female on our team had attempted to cook hamburgers one time, and somehow turned them into a soup-like substance that none of us dared to sample. Kakashi fared only slightly better, succeeding in making them into something more akin to ground beef.

Hebi came in as I was rummaging through the tiny refrigerator, searching for the ingredients I needed to make breaded chicken, a favorite of mine which was starting to grow on my teammates.

"How'd it go?" I asked. She shrugged. "The Hokage dismissed me before he would speak with Zabuza. I've no idea what's gone on."

I sighed. So much for any intel concerning the Missing-nin. "Might as well make yourself useful if you're here, then," I said to Hebi. "I need you to get these." I handed her a list.

"You want me to go grocery shopping?" She asked. I nodded. "Otherwise, you can starve if you want."

"Brat..." Hebi muttered as she left.

* * *

When Hebi returned, she was not alone. Tora was standing next to her, shifting his weight uncomfortably.

Finally, I snapped. "Tora, what's eating you?"

He stopped, snapped out of wherever he'd been. "Kakashi wanted to see you, Taka," he said quietly. I nodded and Shushined out of the room.

* * *

I found Kakashi at his usual training ground with one of his students, the blonde boy Naruto.

"Tora told me that you wanted me," I said when I jumped out of the trees behind them.

They both turned, Naruto standing just behind Kakashi.

"That was quick," Kakashi said. "I spoke to Tora only a few minutes ago."

"Not _everyone_ is as impossibly late as you, Dad," I pointed out. "Now, why'd you need me?"

Kakashi nudged Naruto, who stepped forward uncertainly. "Thank you for helping me with training earlier," he said. "I really appreciated your help."

I smiled, though no-one could see, and patted the boy on the shoulder. "No problem, Naruto."

The blonde's face lit up when I said his name instead of the usual monikers that I had used before, 'Boy', 'Kid', and 'Blondie'.

"I also had a question for you," he began. I turned back to him again. "Yes?"

"Um... I was wondering if you could help me train..." As he spoke, I briefly noticed that Kakashi was discreetly fleeing the area.

"Why? Kakashi's your Sensei, is he not?" I asked.

"Yeah, he is, but... Kakashi Sensei spends all his time training Sasuke, and never does anything with Sakura and I except for little things like Shuriken- and kunai-throwing."

I nodded. "I can come by this training ground when I'm off duty. Would that work?"

"That'd be great!" Naruto cheered. "Thanks a lot, ANBU-Sensei!"

I laughed. "Taka. My codename's Taka. And you're welcome."

Naruto grinned cheekily. "Thanks, Taka-Sensei!"

I mussed up his hair and laughed. Naruto was just like a younger brother. "Hey, you look a lot like the Yondaime Hokage, you know that?"

"I know! It's really strange..." The goofy grin faded to a look of contentment. "Well, anyways, I need to go. Thanks again!" The blonde boy took off, stopped at the edge of the trees, waved, and took off again all in a matter of seconds. I Shushined back to my squad's dorm.

* * *

I heard voices coming from the room as I prepared to knock. When I did, everyone fell silent, and I heard whisperings, followed by the sounds of successive Shushines.

Tora opened the door. I shot him a look, but didn't say anything about the people that I'd heard.

"Did Hebi get the stuff I asked for?" I questioned. He shrugged. "I dunno." I signed and proceeded to rummage through the refrigerator again, discovering, to my relief, that Hebi had gone and bought the things I had asked for.

"Tora?" I asked.

"Hm?" He stopped in the doorway, probably headed to the room he had shared with Kakashi.

"Could you help me with dinner? You're the least likely to mutilate the food."

Tora laughed, then sighed. "Sure. It's kinda sad, though, if I'm the second-best cook here, and all I can do is cook meat patties."

I laughed. "True. Sadly, very true."

* * *

The next morning I received a notice from the Hokage, stating that he wished to see me. I hoped that, whatever it was, it wouldn't take long, as we theoretically had the next two days mission-free, then we would have to decide what to do with our squad, since Hebi was leaving after our leave.

* * *

I crouched on the floor in front of the Hokage's desk. "You called?"

"Yes, I did. Stand up, Taka," Hiruzen said. I stood.

"You heard about the vote that most of the other ANBU created and took part in, correct?" I nodded.

"Do you know what the poll entailed?"

"No, Lord Third."

The Third Hokage sighed. "The poll was about what to do with you, Taka. The consensus was for you to go through the standard ranks before being allowed to rejoin the ANBU. Everyone there cares for you, and treat you like family. They believe that this is what's best for you."

I stiffened. "Why? I have been ANBU my entire life."

"That is exactly why," he said. "You are extremely skilled, yes, but you have had very few interactions with others your age. You need to be able to understand and get along with your would-be peers."

I looked away from the old man's piercing gaze. "I understand. I do not like it, but I understand." I looked back at him. "Am I going through the Academy?"

"Goodness, no! That would be torture, as you already know everything that you'd be taught. No, you're just going to join a Genin team until you make Chūnin. That's when you'll have the choice to rejoin ANBU."

I nodded. "That's a slight reassurance."

"Before you are dismissed, there are a couple more things. You are still allowed to live in the ANBU barracks, since you have nowhere else to be. You also will be going by your surname, not your ANBU one."

"What do you mean? I am Taka," I said, feeling lost. The Hokage smiled and shook his head.

"You were adopted by the ANBU, and given your masked name at a young age. It makes sense that you would not remember." He shuffled through the stacks of paper on his desk until he found a small folder, and withdrew a sheet from inside. He checked it, then handed it to me.

"This, Taka, is your birth certificate, created when you were adopted." He pointed at one of the lines. "As this is an ANBU certificate, it lists your code name, 'Taka'." He pointed to the line below it. "_This_ is your surname."

* * *

**Whew! I seem to be hooked on this story! I can't stop writing on this to work on my other fanfics. **

**Aaaaaaaand... Time for a poll! I need to choose a surname for 'Taka', so... Please vote in reviews or on my profile!**

**The options are:**

**Kamen (Mask)**

**Antai (Peace)**

**Antan (Somber)**

**Hato (Dove)**

**Other (Tell me your idea in a PM or review)**

**Thanks!**

**~Hawk Sirius**


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